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September 17, 2004

Top 12 Reactions from whites regarding the topic of RACE

The black and white racial divide will continue in
America as long as whites continue these common
tactics in regards to discussing and debating the
racial history and contemporary plight of African
Americans.

1. Avoid discussing the topic. Most whites seem very
uncomfortable with the topic of race. The human nature
reason being that humans have a propensity of aversion
to enter any situation where the probability is
greater that they will lose something rather than gain
something. Psychologically, whites fear being labeled
as racist, regardless of the merits of the label.

2. Attack the messenger. When a the words of humans
are truthful and irrefutable, those who brave a
response will usually try to destroy the credibility
of the messenger in the hope that by discrediting the
messenger, the message will then be discredited. This
is why many people always try to find dirt to bring up
and use against outspoken black leaders in an attempt
to discredit them and their message. Unfortunately,
this is a very successful tactic.

3. Point to the guilt of others. Humans, when
confronted with their transgressions or their group
transgression, will attempt nullify their guilt by
pointing out others who have done things bad or wrong
in an attempt to draw a moral equivalence of degree
and kind so that they will not appear as being out of
the ordinary in their actions. This manifest in on the
subject of race via whites attempt to claim that
blacks are just as racist as whites and that blacks
sold their own people into slavery. Regardless of the
degree of truth in those assessments are the fact at
hand, which is the guilt of the white society and
America, and the fact that blacks did not enslave and
degrade whites for centuries and as part of foundation
of their economic system.

4. Deny that the past has an impact upon the present.
This occurs when the facts cannot any longer be swept
under the rug, so then the aim becomes to deny that
the past has any relation to the present problems
people face. Thus, the people can then say that those
things in the past were terrible, but that all the
players and actors are now dead and nothing can or
should be done about it. This conveniently ignores
that every action produces a reaction and that the
present is in fact 99.999% the creation of the past
and that black problems of today are directly and
indirectly linked to past actions of this society.

5. Call to move on. This is an attempt to get blacks
to stop focusing on the history of how or problems
came about;which just happens to caste aspersion upon
white society. What this call ignores is that it is
not the HISTORY of race that keeps the race issue
alive with blacks. Rather, it is the social and
economic deprivation of blacks today relative to
whites today, that are the direct and indirect effects
of past racial prejudice and discrimination, that
keeps the topic of race from being moved passed.

6. Accuse the messenger of hate. Even though their may
exist nothing in the conversation or debate that are
evidence of hate, whites will assume the messenger to
be filled with hate and anger due to what psychologist
call Projection; Which is the phenomenon of humans
projecting what is or would be their motives, behavior
and reactions as being the motives behavior and action
of others. Thus, in essence giving insight into their
own thought processes and not that of the messenger.

7. Accuse the messenger of creating racism. Many
whites will use the rhetoric of people who point out
racial injustice as causing them to become racist or
to see blacks in a negative light, when they did not
before. This is what I call circular racism, which is
contemporary white racism fueled by the reaction
manifested in blacks to past white racism. Since every
action creates a reaction, this creates a type of
kinetic white racism. The simply fact is that an
articulately presented indictment of how blacks were
put down in order to help elevate white society angers
whites and creates a backlash or negative emotional
response from them directed at blacks.

8. Visceral, emotional responses. This is what happens
when all else fails and this is usually when the
subconscious mind takes control of the conscious mind
and reveals racial prejudice and beliefs of white
supremacy stored in the recess of their mind via the
psychology of suppression and denial. But of course,
they will rationalize that these feeling and belief
are the product or reaction to the messenger and not
something engrained in them by society or their
observations.

9. Try to convince blacks of their fortune. The goal
here is to highlight the fact that blacks in America
live better than blacks back and Africa, therefore, we
should feel fortunate for the enslavement and
oppression of 10 generations of our forefathers. They
want to take the social and economic juxtaposition of
blacks and whites and place it upon African Americans
vs. Africans outside America. However, the slave
trade, colonization and exploitation stagnated most
black people around the world, while facilitating and
fueling the uplift of Western civilization. If
Europeans had stayed in Europe and Africans in Africa,
I dare say that it would be the average European with
a much worse off lot in this world, than it would be
for blacks of the world.

10. Love America or Leave it. This is when they say
get out of America and go live in Africa if this is
such a bad place. Again, the goal is to get ride of US
(blacks) as opposed to trying to get ride of the
legacies and responsibility of Americas mistreatment
of us that manifest in so many problems today. This
approach also prevents them from having to change
their ways or to introspect their own racism that
contributes to the problems black face and the social
and economic gaps. Besides, that, why leave something
that generations of your family lived in humanity to
create. None has more right to any current fruits,
than do black people, but white still
disproportionately enjoy the fruits of our ancestors
sacrifices as well as the sacrifices of their
ancestors and others.
The fallacy that most whites assume is that it is
so-called black leaders who inspire the masses of
blacks to think the way we do, when nothing could be
further from reality. It is simply the HISTORY and
CONDITIONS that black people live with contemporarily,
relative to whites, plus the continued effects of
current white racism and ignorance, that keeps the
fire burning. The issue of race will never subside
until the legacy of past racism and the social and
economic gaps between the races are eliminated.

11) My ancestors did not own any slaves and I should
not be held responsible for something that happened
before my ancestors arrived here. This should actually
move to the top 5. The first fallacy of this response
is that it erroneously assumes that black oppression
was limited to slavery. They can then reason that
those acts were terrible but that all the victims and
villains are now dead. However, black oppression was
not simply limited to being the property of whites.
Most historians on the racial history of Africans in
America say that the most brutal period for blacks in
the country were the first few decades after the fall
of the post slavery reconstruction period also known
as the Jim Crow era. In actuality, blacks were
oppressed overtly up until the late 60s in America,
and there are Millions of survivors living today.
Also, whites must understand that America is a
representative republic, where the majority rules.
Thus, when the citizens of a republic such as ours,
allows the discrimination and oppression of a segment
of the population, then the citizenry is complicit.
The reason being that this is a country of the people
for the people and by the people, thus, the people are
responsible. Furthermore, all American citizens
inherit the assets as well as the liabilities that
this nation has accrued from the past. It is a package
deal that cannot be split up. Each citizen is allowed
to enjoy the fruits and benefits of America that they
nor their ancestors created, yet, you never find white
citizens objecting to their use of the assets and
privileges based upon their lack of involvement in
their creation. But in blatant hypocrisy, they want to
deny their citizenship responsibility to past debts
based upon not having created or contributed to them.
If they [whites] can rationalize not being responsible
to the debts, then they have also rationalized the
taking away of their rights to assets created in the
past not related to them or their ancestors. Thus, the
only solution for them would be to leave the country
right.

12) We are Superior!!! These whites do not even bother
to pretend. They come right out with their prejudice
and are not at all shamed of it. The other responses
are usually the responses or tactics of whites who are
in denial or who are trying to hide from themselves
and hide if from us as well.

12 Comments:

Interesting list Noah and I think you are right on target with many of them. 1) I know that I have a fear of offending my black friends so I will skirt topics like this even though I'd like to be better informed of their feelings.

2)I don't think there is a need to attack anyone in what should and can be a civil discussion.

3)While historically white Americans should shoulder the burden of guilt there is now a certain amount of guilt prevelant on both sides.

4)I believe that you are right in that we need to understand history in so much as that knowledge helps us not repeat past injustices.

5)While the past should help guide our course there is a need for both sides to move forward.

6)I am trying very hard not to read anger or hatred into your statements, but I find it very difficult at times not too.

7)Given your post here and your comments on other blogs, I do question your moral position that you are not out to create disharmony.

8)Please give me a break, only whites are reactionary?!

9)Nope, I won't give you some milk toast comment that blacks have it soo much better. Of course I think they can be if they want to. If you were a black women; I'd give you more than a head nod on the difficulties endured.

10)Just who in all of our discussions today has been keeping the fire burning?

11)I do think that my great grand father being a German tenant farmer in Minnesota puts the kabash on my family being somehow historically tied to slavery in this country. The fact that my grand father made his living going around the neighborhood collecting junk scrap metal and news paper surely begs the question of historically what is my family guilty of? Oh that's right, my family is white ergo we're just as guilty as any of "them". The rest of your statement as to, "citizenship responsibility to past debts". Is pure gibberish. You can't point at "white" people and not point to a white person. In what way did my ancestors somehow live off of the work of yours. Sorry I'm find myself falling back into point 8.

3) how is your response contradictory to the point made? When you say that blacks are guilty of some degree of guilt are you talking circular causation? What I mean is this. Every action produces an reaction. Thus, whites historical actions produces reactions in blacks. This reaction in blacks is then used by whites to substantiate or perpetuate their dislike of blacks, which in turn causes them to again discriminate against blacks. The same is true of blacks holding each other back, due to the reaction of whites. These are examples of circular causation, in which symptoms born from the reaction to white acts, thus serve to further the perpetuation of the resultant.

5) moving forward is defined by whom? Have you ever thought that moving forward for blacks has to do with reconciling the inequities born from the past? Or are you suggesting that we move forward…with the continuation of the gaps that persist from the creation of the past? Thus, moving forward under those conditions is not moving forward in terms of creating equality.

6) Well, given that I have not said that I am angry and given that I am not using an angry verbiage, then it is obvious that your are simply “projecting” what your mind empathizes would be a natural reaction to this history I have lamented. In another blog, you even stated that you might be angry too, if you were black. However, that says more about you than me, because I have never made any such statements.

7) Disharmony…as defined by whom? Is not the present state of black inequality disharmonious, in and of itself? It sound to me that your working definition of disharmony is upsetting white people…Why does harmony always have to have a white face?

11) The reality is that this country was created with slavery and with the stealing of land from the Natives. Thus, would your grandfather of had this land to escape to for a better life, if not for what was done to the Africans and Indians? Life is a competition and anytime you exclude part of the competition from being able to compete, then everyone else benefits. Whites limited good opportunities to other whites, which shut blacks out from accumulating income and wealth on par with whites. This is not rocket science. Also, you should know that the F.I.R.E industries, Finance, Insurance and real estate all benefited from the spin off business emanating from slavery. Thus, the growth of this country was part and parcel to slavery, directly or indirectly and those living in the country, except the slaves, benefited from this.

11) My ancestors did not own any slaves and I shouldnot be held responsible for something that happenedbefore my ancestors arrived here.

You know Noah, I guess you can say I conducted an experiment at P&P. Somehow, there was a string of Civil War and Abe Lincoln threads where I challenged the character of Lincoln and the posters popping that Old he "freed ya'll" and ended ya'll's oppression proproganda by asserting that he had it in his power via the Homestead Act(s) to deliver Reparations right then and there. And, instead of acknowledging even begrudingly that that could have been true, those posters who would otherwise say, "I'll agree to Reparations if you can find me a slave that's alive" found every excuse in the book why Lincoln couldn't do that and, as I said, wouldn't even acknowledge that it was the right thing to do then.

So, there is no pretense that defensive Whites (the vast majority of them and those who regurgitate everything on your list verbatim-ad naseum) can erect that can't be exposed and exploded if you put them in the very situation, conversationally, that they claim would be a condition upon which they would desist in their opposition and obstruction to what they otherwise acknowledge (with LIP SERVICE) as "right".

It was too funny... Not a one of them ever said... The slaves were alive then and should have gotten Reparations. They were as always only concerned about what it would do to Whites and what the demon possessed Whites (those thoroughly indoctrinated with the doctrine of White Supremacy RACISM to the point of violence) would do. Of course, they tried to act like Emancipation was doing Blacks a favor.

I'm like... How do you do somebody a favor, unless you believe in White Supremacy (anything a superior does that he doesn't have to is a favor to subordinates), when you are the cause for the reason why you need to do the "favor" in the first place?

That is, if I spill milk on my neighbor floor, I'm not doing him a "favor" when I clean my own mess it. That sh*t is at best a Zeroing out... but that would pretend there are no consequences - indeliably stained rug, someone slips and gets injured - because of my spilled milk.

Yes! Not a one of them could fashion a way to say or stipulate as to how REPARATIONS would have been possible then. In fact, they emphatically defended Lincoln (from me saying he didn't do enough or as much as he could have done along with pointing out how he adhered to White Supremacy and wasn't about to make for real equality among Blacks and Whites) saying he did all he could do and what he did was (most) honorable.

As you see... all their myths can be exposed.What would stop any of them from saying that Lincoln or somebody should have done something to make Reparations happen? I'm like this is just the InterNet. There are virtually no repurcussions for saying things on line even if you have doubts about them in real life.

Yet, not one of them took that tact - "that I would support Reparations when the slave and slave masters were alive" - when talking about the very period and introducing the subject as something that was well within the means and power of Lincoln...

Feel free to link brother...and you are definately on point in regards to lincoln (and most other things too). I have some white tell me of all the whites who died to free the slave...I asked them who won the war...thus, if the Confederacy lost...then I venture to guess that more white folks died trying to keep us as slaves...than those died trying preserve the Union.

Like you said...it like if you start rapping a women...then stop...then want to be patted on the back for stoping what you started...then you have the audacity to think that makes it even...since the stop negates the stop...however...it ignores and does not address all the damage that occured in between stoping and starting.

Thank you... I'll let you know if and when I use your link. Dependents on how stupid they want to get in their Denials....

I'll also have to use that WHO WON idea.I just had a guy try to pose that Whites that died "for your freedom" junk and quickly flipped it and said if you want to start counting lives lost in fighting against Slavery then all you're doing (I told him) is upping the ante.

Needless to say when I told him to start counting (for Reparations which was what he wanted to use "Freedom" Whites as a discount against) ALL the Black soldiers in ALL the wars up to the present or even up to the 60's, he didn't want to go there. He tried it a second time on another board and then I put it to him like this... we can actually count ever Black life under Slavery and Segregation... [25 million Blacks died under Slavery BTW - from "Why Should America Pay" (Winbush... On Reparations) ]

And the RAPE Analogy is right and exact.It captures all the drama and trauma...

Duh...the point IS being right...in and of itself. It is called the truth. Such truth can help people prepare for debate against those who are racist, illogical and suffering from cognitive disoanance.

Some other common white reactions:1. But I'm not racist (So what? By acknowledging systemic discrimination, you have an obligation to fight it)2. Blacks need to work harder (The vast majority of the poor are working poor--that is to say they hold down two to three jobs)3. The government's not giving me a handout, so why should you get one? (Bullshit. The rich, upper, and white middle classes receive 95% plus of all government largesse)4. Blacks are culturally/genetically criminal (Criminals are created by law and the way they are enforced. Ever been hassled for "Parking while White?")5. If this is such a racist society, then why does everyone want to come here? (People come here for economic and social opportunities that are better than the place they live. The reason that Scandinavians, French, and numerous other countries have low immigration applications to America is because it's more racist and has fewer opportunities than where they live)6. Black people don't like me anyway. Why should I care about them? (Bad news--"black people" are just as diverse in their personal prejudices, opinions, likes, and dislikes as whites, yellows, or any other group. There are doubtless a whole slew of white people who wouldn't like you, either. Do you therefore eschew the entire group?)7. Black conservatives disagree with you. (See point #6.)

Here are the most common reactions whites have when a Blac man points out the transgressions done by whites.

You are lonely.You have a chip on your shoulder.You are vengeful.You are vindictive.You are sad.You are retaliatory.Get a life.You are unhappy.You are rude.You are hateful.You are a sad human being.You are bitter.You have no friends.You are a Black Panther.You are a Black Nationalist.You are a Black racist.

When a white male at another website tried to label me, I simply replied, "What happened to littering, loitering and singing off key?"